Walking heel



April 14, 1953 WRIGHT 2,634,723

WALKING HEEL Filed Oct. 15, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORNEY i r 1 i Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALKING HEEL Frank 0. Wright, Memphis, Tenn. Application October 13, 1950, Serial No. 189,956

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in walking heels of that type used by patients having a foot or leg in a plaster cast.

The main object of this invention is to provide a device of the character in question formed from a molded or vulcanized integral mass of rubber or plastic material having mounting board or sole plate of substantial area, with the heel area cored to increase resiliency, and shaped to provide a walking surface with a radius which, with the inherent resiliency of the structure, tends to provide a more natural movement during use and assists in motivation of the patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a walking heel of resilient rubber construction without nails, rivets, washers or any metal part which can be used without marring a floor and will not engage or snag a rug or dig or penetrate into flooring and trip a patient and will eliminate danger from skidding and sparks and will also provide a shock absorbing structure to prevent any shock whatsoever to the patient.

Another object is the structure and arrangement of the mounting board or sole plate to more evenly distribute the weight and at the same time insure proper attachment to the cast and by being flexible enough to conform to the curved undersurface of the casting a more substantial anchorage is secured.

Other features will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawings and specification, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a. top plan view;

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the device fixed to a cast;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view.

The present structure is formed by a molding or vulcanizing operation from rubber, rubber composition, or plastic, the mold structure being sectional and designed for operation in a suitable steam hydraulic press. The mold is a separate invention and subject matter for a separate patent application. Heretofore in the art walking heels have been made of metal, and wood and rubber, usually with an elastic tread portion, such structures being particularly objectionable due to lack of resiliency and contour essential to comfortable and convenient application and manipulation. In the present device every consideration has been given to designing a suitable structure which will have inherent resiliency to 2 cushion and eliminate shocks and permit operation and use by a patient without inconveniencing him in his manipulations of the limb encased in a plaster cast.

Referring now to the disclosure of the drawing an integral body or heel A is provided, the bottom portion 1 of whichis arcuate form, with the rounded thickened portion slightly forward of the vertical center of the heel structure. The front face 4 of the heel is flat transversely while the rear face 5 is rounded as best shown in Fig. 5. The entire heel structure is of such dimension as to insure a sufficient supporting area of floor contact to provide a firm non-skid support. The center of the heel structure is formed with a substantial cavity 1, this cavity being of sufficient dimension to provide maximum resiliency and at the same time maintain sufficient wall structure to support any predetermined load. It will be noted that the bottom 8 of the recess is spaced a suflicient distance from the arcuate wear surface I of the heel to provide rubber structure so that the life of the device against wear is substantially unlimited insofar as the use of the invention is concerned. The cavity 1 is open at the top as a reduction of the rubber area at the point of engagement with the cast aids in cementing the parts together and permits such adjustment at the arch as may be necessary.

Formed integrally with the heel is the rubber sole plate or platform which extends forwardly and rearwardly of the heel structure and has its upper face in a common plane with the upper surface of the heel to form therewith a fiat cohtacting area for engagement with the cast as best shown in Fig. 3. The forwardly and rearwardly projecting portions are indicated by reference characters B and C respectively, each being substantially identical and including concaved or notched side edge portions 9 and transverse spaced ribs or cleats H), the latter extending downwardly from the under faces of the platform extensions B and C. The side edges of the platform areas B and C are each formed with upper beveled faces H and lower beveled faces l2 which merge at a smooth or slightly rounded edge to insure against cutting of the plaster cast or connections applied thereto. This structure provided for the platform sec tions B and C enables the application of securing bandages as shown in Fig. 3 without the possibility of slipping and further it is to be kept in mind that the platform is solid rubber and being molded with the heel it will not break or 3 tear ofi. Furthermore, the platform is sufiiciently flexible to conform to the curved undersurface of the cast allowing a more solid anchorage.

I claim:

1. In a walking heel for use with cast, a rubber body having a, heel portion formed with a relatively large vertical cavity, and integral flanges extending fore and aft of the heel and at the upper portion thereof, said flanges being provided with transverse cleats on their under face, and being suflicientl'y flexible to conform to a curved associated face.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the cavity is formed centrally of the heel and opens upwardly intermediate the flanges.

3. A walking heel for plaster casts including a heel body portion formed of resilient material and integral forwardly and rearwardly extending flanges projecting from the upper marginal edges of said heel portion, said heel portion being provided with a relatively large, upwardly opening recess substantially centrally of its structure, said flanges having their upper faces normally lying in a common plane and the 'side walls of each of said flanges converging from said body portion and including spaced transverse downwardly projecting cleats, and recesses formed at the marginal edges of each of the flanges. I

4. In awalkin'g heel "for use with a plaster cast, an integral rubber body including a heel portion and forwardly and rearwardly extending flanges, said heel portion being formed with an upwardly facing recess, said recess being so located as to provide substantially equal wall supporting areas at each side of the heel portion, said flanges having their top surface lying in substantially the same plane and in the plane of the top surface of the heelporticn and converging forwardly and rearwardly from said heel portion, and being of such thickness as to be flexible for properly conforming to the cast to which it is applied, and the bottom surface of said heel being curved forwardly and rearwardly to permit a rocking movement of the structure in the direction of its movement during nor- FRANK O. WRIGHT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'mal use.

OTHER REFERENCES Zentralblatt Fur Chirur-gie for 1934, pp. 1726 29. (Copy in Div. 55.)

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery for October 1950, page 784 and advertising page '29. (Copy in Scientific Library.) 

